"Shop Around" is a 1960 single by The Miracles (credited as "The Miracles featuring Bill 'Smokey' Robinson") for the Tamla (Motown) label, catalog number T 54034. It is notable as being the label's first #1 hit on the Billboard magazine R&B singles chart, and also hit #2 on the Hot 100 (#1 pop, Cashbox). This history-making song is also noted for being the first million-selling record of The Miracles' and The Motown Record Corporation, as well as a 2006 Grammy Hall of Fame inductee.
This version was ranked #495 on Rolling Stone's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
History
The song, written by Robinson and Berry Gordy, depicts a mother giving her now-grown son advice about how to find a woman worthy of being a girlfriend or wife ("My mama told me/'you better shop around'"). The original recorded version of the song had a strong blues influence, and was released in the local Detroit, Michigan area before Gordy decided that the song needed to be re-recorded in order to be more commercially viable outside of Detroit. So at 3 a.m. one morning, Robinson, Claudette Rogers, Bobby Rogers, Ronnie White, and Pete Moore recorded a new, poppier version of "Shop Around" that became a major national hit. The original record label credits Bill "Smokey" Robinson as the writer, with Berry Gordy as producer.Since its release, "Shop Around" has become an often-remade tune, on record, in live performance, and on television. One notable version by The Captain and Tennille hit #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1976. The Captain and Tennille's Toni Tennille changed the song's lyrics slightly so that they were sung from a woman's perspective. Their version also topped the adult contemporary chart for one week in 1976, the duo's fourth #1 on this chart.
"Shop Around" also inspired an answer record, "Don't Let Him Shop Around," performed by Debbie Dean (who is sometimes misidentified the first white artist ever signed to a Motown label -- this distinction actually belongs to instrumental combo Nick and the Jaguars). Dean's "Don't Let Him Shop Around" charted #92 on the Hot 100 in February 1961 and was Dean's only chart entry. Smokey Robinson later recorded a sequel song for his 1987 album One Heartbeat, entitled "It's Time To Stop Shopping Around."
"Shop Around's" b-side, "Who's Lovin' You", also became a Motown classic composition, mostly due to its plethora of covers, including a famous one by The Jackson 5 in 1969.
David Archuleta performed "Shop Around" on Season 7 of American Idol during the top 24 performances. It was released for download from the iTunes store on February 20 2008. The Miracles can be seen performing "Shop Around" on the Motown DVD release: Smokey Robinson & The Miracles: The Definitive Performances (1963-1987).
References
1)"Hits Of The Sixties: The Million Sellers"- by Demitri Coryton & Joseph Murrells (pg 43).
Notes
Credits
- Lead vocals by Smokey Robinson
- Background vocals by Claudette Rogers Robinson Pete Moore, Ronnie White, and Bobby Rogers.
- Guitar by Marv Tarplin
- Written by Berry Gordy and William "Smokey" Robinson
- Produced by Berry Gordy
- Other instrumentation by The Funk Brothers
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Last updated on Wednesday July 23, 2008 at 21:33:45 PDT (GMT -0700)
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